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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Wing Nut Films to produce Mortal Engines

Peter Jackson's Wing Nut Films to product Mortal Engines

Kiwi film making legend Peter Jackson has announced that his latest film project is Mortal Engines. If you know that name that’s because it is an adaptation of Philip Reeve's sci-fi/fantasy novel Mortal Engines.

Jackson and his usual gang of Oscar winning writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have taken up the pen for scripting.

Jackson is taking a breaking from directing after the tortuous 3 film run that was the Hobbit so his protege Christian Rivers in the directing chair. Rivers was in line to direct a remake of the Dambusters but that project has been put on the go slow.

Jackson said of his project:

“Our involvement in Mortal Engines actually pre-dates Dambusters (which is still happening) - Christian actually worked on Mortal Engines previs way back in 2009. It’s very exciting to finally get it underway!”

Filming on Mortal Engines is expected to begin in New Zealand next autumn. As usual Wing Nut Films is producing the film and its likely sequels.

The book series was first optioned to be made into movies by Jackson way back in 2001 and he will be looking to turn it into a massive film franchise.

So what is the Mortal Engines series of novels about?

Mortal Engines is set far off into the future. A post-apocalyptic Earth now features giant robotic or mechanical cities that roam the scorched Earth on huge wheels, devouring each other in a struggle for ever diminishing resources.

On one of these massive Traction Cities, a young man called Tom Natsworthy has an unexpected encounter with a mysterious girl from the Outlands and the story pans out from there. No casting announcements have been made about these two main characters.

The books are often referred to the ‘Predator Cities’ series and feature a steampunk world where merciless barons and mayors roam what is known as the Hunting Ground, preying on smaller towns and converting their raw materials into fuel for their own city-machines.